Apple TV is offering free viewings, no subscription required

Last year, Apple TV+ threw the world a hail Mary when it allowed It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to be broadcast on PBS in October. This year, the streamer is going a different way to show the special, and it will still be free for non-subscribers!

Back in 2020, Apple bought all the rights to the Peanuts specials, which means that the only place you can catch the beloved classics is on Apple TV+. That is still the case today.

Existing subscribers will happily put It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and the other holiday special on repeat, but what if you don’t want to pay for another subscription just to get your dose of nostalgia? There are several ways you can watch––for free.

Related: The ‘Secret’ Netflix Codes for All the Family Halloween Movies

Apple TV

First, if you’ve never subscribed before you can head over to Apple TV and sign up for a free 7-day trial. There’s no need to wait until Oct. 31 either––It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is already available for viewing.

You can also watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas while you’re enjoying your trial! You will need to enter credit card info however, so set a reminder to cancel after seven days if you don’t want to pay $4.99 a month.

New this year, Apple TV is providing special free windows for non-subscribers to stream! From Oct. 28-31, you can watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown without having to sign up for a subscription.

Free windows will also exist for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving from Nov. 23-27 and A Charlie Brown Christmas from Dec 22-25.

Related: Boo! Freeform’s ’31 Nights of Halloween’ Schedule Is Hauntingly Good

Courtesy of ABC Television Network

Another way to snag Apple TV+ for free is to take advantage of Best Buy’s three-month offer. Head to bestbuy.com, add the offer to your cart, check out and enjoy 90 days for free!

If you don’t mind shelling out a little dough so you can watch the movie whenever you darn well please, both a DVD and 4K disc version is available on Amazon for just $14.

No matter how old your kids are, threatening or upsetting news can affect them emotionally. Many can feel worried, frightened, angry, or even guilty. And these anxious feelings can last long after the news event is over. So what can you do as a parent to help your kids deal with all this information? Here are a few tips for talking to kids about tragedy in the news.

 

Addressing News and Current Events: Tips for All Kids

Consider your own reactions. Your kids will look to the way you handle the news to determine their own approach. If you stay calm and rational, they will, too.

Take action. Depending on the issue and kids’ ages, families can find ways to help those affected by the news. Kids can write postcards to politicians expressing their opinions; families can attend meetings or protests; kids can help assemble care packages or donate a portion of their allowance to a rescue/humanitarian effort. Check out websites that help kids do good.

 

Tips for Kids under 7

Keep the news away. Turn off the TV and radio news at the top of the hour and half hour. Read the newspaper out of range of young eyes that can be frightened by the pictures (kids may respond strongly to pictures of other kids in jeopardy). Preschool kids don’t need to see or hear about something that will only scare them silly, especially because they can easily confuse facts with fantasies or fears.

Stress that your family is safe. At this age, kids are most concerned with your safety and separation from you. Try not to minimize or discount their concerns and fears, but reassure them by explaining all the protective measures that exist to keep them safe. If the news event happened far away, you can use the distance to reassure kids. For kids who live in areas where crime and violence is a very real threat, any news account of violence may trigger extra fear. If that happens, share a few age-appropriate tips for staying and feeling safe (being with an adult, keeping away from any police activity).

Be together. Though it’s important to listen and not belittle their fears, distraction and physical comfort can go a long way. Snuggling up and watching something cheery or doing something fun together may be more effective than logical explanations about probabilities.

 

Tips for Kids 8–12

Carefully consider your child’s maturity and temperament. Many kids can handle a discussion of threatening events, but if your kids tend toward the sensitive side, be sure to keep them away from the TV news; repetitive images and stories can make dangers appear greater, more prevalent, and closer to home.

Be available for questions and conversation. At this age, many kids will see the morality of events in stark black-and-white terms and are in the process of developing their moral beliefs. You may have to explain the basics of prejudice, bias, and civil and religious strife. But be careful about making generalizations, since kids will take what you say to the bank. This is a good time to ask them what they know, since they’ll probably have gotten their information from friends, and you may have to correct facts.

Talk about — and filter — news coverage. You might explain that even news programs compete for viewers, which sometimes affects content decisions. If you let your kids use the Internet, go online with them. Some of the pictures posted are simply grisly. Monitor where your kids are going, and set your URLs to open to non-news-based portals.

 

Tips for Teens

Check inSince, in many instances, teens will have absorbed the news independently of you, talking with them can offer great insights into their developing politics and their senses of justice and morality. It will also help you get a sense of what they already know or have learned about the situation from their own social networks. It will also give you the opportunity to throw your own insights into the mix (just don’t dismiss theirs, since that will shut down the conversation immediately).

Let teens express themselves. Many teens will feel passionately about events and may even personalize them if someone they know has been directly affected. They’ll also probably be aware that their own lives could be affected by violence. Try to address their concerns without dismissing or minimizing them. If you disagree with media portrayals, explain why so your teens can separate the mediums through which they absorb news from the messages conveyed.

 

Additional resources

For more information on how to talk to your kids about a recent tragedy, please visit the National Association of School Psychologists or the American Psychological Association. For more on how news can impact kids, check out News and America’s Kids: How Young People Perceive and Are Impacted by the News,

Marie-Louise Mares, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, contributed to this article.

Common Sense Media
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.

Wedged between homework and fundraising forms in the kindergarten folder was a letter to parents: It advised us of an upcoming active shooter response drill. Words like armed intruder spread across sentences on school letterhead detailing the session for students. The following week, stuffed between readers, handwriting and math practice papers was a new note addressing the tragedy at the Tree of Life Synagogue, outlining activities the children would participate in to honor first responders and victims of the tragic event.

I found myself staring at the school papers, formulating a dialogue in my mind. A conversation difficult for adults alone, but now necessary to have with my daughter.

We cover things quickly—I’m lucky to get this five-year-old to sit and focus for just a few minutes. We discuss the ALICE acronym (alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate), and she tells me what she’s responsible for during the event of an active shooting: “We run and hide, throw things at the bad guy and get out.” My stomach turns. Our local police officers equipped with firearms were unable to fully protect themselves from bullets sprayed by the shooter who injured and killed innocent people near Mr. Rogers’ real-life neighborhood—a tight-knit community located across a few steel bridges from us.

This talk is tough. I let her take the lead and let me know what she learned, chiming in with my own what would you do scenario. The most important element I ask my child to take away from our conversation is to always be aware of your surroundings. This message I will ingrain in her mind every time we arrive in a public place. “Look for exits and identify a quick and easy way out in case of emergency. Be aware of where you’re sitting, and if possible, never have your back to the main entrance.” Unsettling, right?

Our conversation isn’t long. She wants a snack and some crayons to color, bored by my big words and requests to repeat after me.

Hearts are heavy, and it’s hard not to notice the sadness surrounding the city of Pittsburgh. I’m shaken knowing my little girl is at school, bowing her head on the playground in a moment of silence. I’m unsure if she fully understands what is going on—reoccurring acts of gun violence are forcing her to grow up too soon.

Our children are being trained to defend themselves. The ALICE acronym is now as important as the ABCs. Our little ones are learning survival skills to run, hide and fight for their lives because dangerous people are hurting others with automatic weapons laws protect.

No matter how much we are divided on politics and personal rights, it’s small acts of kindness that cement us. Writing thank-you notes to first responders, delivering sympathy cards to family members grieving lost ones and donating blood to victims of gun violence show we love and support one another and the communities we live in. For those taking a stand against the evil of intolerance and hate growing around us at an alarming rate, I cannot help but think of Pat Benatar’s song “Invincible.” The battle cry chorus reminds me of every one of us echoing we are #StrongerThanHate.

“We can’t afford to be innocent / Stand up and face the enemy / It’s a do or die situation / We will be invincible.”

Originally published Nov. 2018.

As managing director of two children—19-months apart in age on purpose—Sara has hands-on experience in human development, specializing in potty pushing, breaking up baby fights and wrestling kids into car seats. When there's a moment to look away, she's writing for the web, blogging and building websites.

The holidays mean gathering together as a family. Yes, even that family. In hopes of making the season jolly for all, we’ve come up with an essential list of activities and ice breakers that’ll keep politics and other negative topics out of the conversation and focus on fun instead. From old-fashioned board games to cooking together and sharing treasured stories, here are 12 things to do instead of getting mad about opposing views.

Happy grandparents spending time with their grandchildren sit on a couch laughing
iStock

1. Share what each family member is thankful for. There's nothing better to help stem negative energy than to focus on positive things. While gathered around the Thanksgiving or holiday table, ask each family member to share what they are grateful for and why.

2. Everyone shares what they’re reading and recommends a book. This year has been a great one for new kids' books, and sharing recommendations is a great conversation starter. Ask each family member to share what they're reading and recommend a book they love.

3. Pull out an old photo album and talk about the pictures. Your kids will enjoy hearing the stories behind old photos, and your parents or other relatives can fill in the blanks.

iStock

4. Play a board game or cards. There's nothing like the friendly family game of Sorry or Go Fish to get family focused on some friendly competition rather than political speak. Don't just stick with the old classics though. There are tons of new board games your family members (young and older) will love, including Mickey and Friends Food Fight, MONOPOLY®: Care Bears™ Edition, Rhino Hero Junior and Super Mario Labriynth. 

5. Work together to create family placemats, napkin rings and table decorations. Working together on a project brings people together collaboratively instead of conversations that tear us apart. Get family members together to engage in activities and create items, such as placemats and napkin rings for the Thanksgiving or holiday table.

6. Share favorite family stories from the past. Everyone has a story to tell, and family gatherings are a great place to share them. Write down some of the grandparents’ stories to make sure those tales are recorded. Check out these games and story prompts to help as ice breaker games and bring out the treasured family stories and memories.

iStock

7. Cook together. It's tough to argue about politics when good food is available. Steer the conversations away from arguments and focus on cooking together. These new family cookbooks offer great recipes that are easy for kids and adults to make together. The family will be so proud of their delicious creations that (hopefully) they'll forget about negative disagreements.

8. Share a happy personal milestone or memory from this past year. Keep the conversation around the table positive by asking each family member to share a proud personal milestone or memory from the past year.

9. Ask random questions as conversation starters. Ask questions that have nothing to do with politics, and you may be surprised at some of the fun answers you get. Questions such as "Would you rather go without television or junk food for the rest of your life?” or “What is your favorite smell and what memory does it remind you of?” can provoke interesting responses. Need help with questions? Here are 39 random questions to get you started.

Nicole de Khors via Burst

10. Go on a walk. Even if it's cold where you live, taking a walk around the neighborhood or to the local park after eating a big meal is a great way to get those energy levels back up! Plus, it'll give everyone an opportunity to focus on the beauty of the outdoors instead of thinking about everyone's ideas on current affairs. 

11. Share what you admire about each other. Have each person around the table share a quality they admire about everyone else at the table. This is helpful if disagreements do come up because you can focus on the positive aspects of people.

12. Watch a classic movie as a family. Pop the popcorn and make hot chocolate or cider, and settle in for a family movie night. Classics like The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music and It's a Wonderful Life are great feel-good movies that are sure to diminish the negative political talk.

 

—Leah R. Singer

 

RELATED STORIES:

39 Questions to Ask at the Dinner Table

25 Ways to Stay Connected as a Family This Holiday Season

10 Simple Ways to Teach Kids Gratitude

Great Conversation Starters for Families

 

Photo: Erin Song via Unsplash

Inclusivity can mean a number of different things. Usually, it refers to including and considering those who are often excluded or marginalized—this can involve sexuality, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, and varying levels of ability. Ensuring inclusive environments makes the world a better place for everyone on a personal, intellectual and even professional level by ensuring that everyone feels welcome. Often, inclusivity is discussed in workplaces, schools, organizations and other public spaces, but it’s also important to teach inclusivity within your family and your household.

Being a good citizen in the world begins with the lessons you learn at home, and while your home is a more comfortable and relaxed place—perhaps with a more homogeneous mix of people than the world at large—it’s still important to teach inclusivity in your family so you can fully embrace the differences within your own household and in your community at large.

You never know where your inclusivity could really make a difference—from your child who could be exploring their identity knowing that they’ll come out to an accepting and loving support system, to guests in your home, to the people you encounter every day in the world. People come from all different backgrounds and experiences, and while you don’t have to know all the answers, making an effort to inform and educate yourself and your family can go a long way. If you’re looking to encourage more inclusivity in your household, here are a few ways to do it.

1. Surround Your Family with Diverse People

While the idea of being “colorblind” or “not noticing disability” might be nice at first, it can actually do more harm than good. People are different, and that’s beautiful. Making an effort to engage in activities and participate in inclusive spaces can expose your family to all different experiences. Looking for schools, activities, and social circles with people of different backgrounds and experiences can normalize variation and diversity for your kids, and even for you.

2. Encourage Empathy

One of the key points of inclusivity is thinking and acting with empathy. While diversity is about the presence of people of different backgrounds and experiences, inclusivity involves making the effort to understand their experiences, and empathy is an integral part of that action. While it’s impossible to understand the exact feelings associated with someone else’s experiences, even encouraging your kids or family to think from the perspective of others can be a great exercise in empathizing with someone of different backgrounds from your own.

3. Allow for Questions

Inclusivity isn’t just about normalization and diversity, either. It’s also about understanding and treating people like human beings who deserve respect. As long as questions are posed in a respectful manner and you’re prepared to listen, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. Asking someone what their experience is like adjusting to life in a wheelchair, celebrating different holidays or growing up in another country isn’t rude.

While there is a boundary between asking questions to understand someone’s experience and expecting someone to take on the emotional labor of educating you, the key is often honesty and respect. If your kids have questions you know the answer to, you can always educate them, too.

4. Model Good Behavior

You can’t expect your family to walk the walk if all you do is talk the talk. One of the best ways to teach inclusivity and encourage it in your household is to live a more inclusive lifest‌yle yourself. Support organizations, policies, and even politics that encourage inclusivity throughout the world. Spend time with people of various backgrounds and experiences and let your kids and family see. Sometimes, the best way to encourage inclusivity is simply by living it.

5. Prioritize Representation in Media & Books

Another avenue in which diversity and inclusivity is highly important is the media your family consumes. The kinds of people we see represented in films, shows, and books often shape our opinions and experiences within the world, and it’s important to use them as tools towards being more informed people. Try to read more inclusive literature and consume media that features all kinds of people. You may learn a lot from it.

6. Go the Extra Mile to Make Accommodations

Inclusivity is often about making the accommodations people need in order to make them feel welcome and comfortable. Many systems are set up specifically to cater to those in more privileged positions without regard to the needs of others, and advocating for more inclusivity often involves advocating for the accommodations necessary for people of different experiences and ability levels.

If your child has a friend or classmate who has a different diet because of religious reasons, needs physical accommodations, or has any other requirements, advocating on their behalf in public spaces and making sure they’re comfortable in your home can be really meaningful. It can make their experience better and model that behavior for your family, too.

In order to create a more inclusive world, change needs to start at home. By encouraging inclusivity in your household, you’re encouraging inclusivity on a wider scale, too. Raising respectful, knowledgeable, and empathetic members of society begins with you, and by encouraging inclusivity at home, you’re doing your part in creating a better world for everyone.

Jennifer Landis is a mom, wife, freelance writer, and blogger. She enjoys long naps on the couch, sneaking spoonfuls of peanut butter when her kid's not looking, and binge watching Doctor Who while her kid's asleep.  She really does like her kid, though, she promises. Find her on Twitter @JenniferELandis.

Photo: © YinYang—iStock/Getty Images

During ordinary times, children learn about elections in school, as part of their social studies curriculum. In the United States, the study of democracy and voting typically begins around third grade. However, currently many children are learning at home and, at the same time, we are experiencing a highly contentious presidential contest. When children and teens ask tough questions about the election, parents and caregivers are often at a loss about what to say.

Keep It Simple
Young children need accurate but brief explanations in language they can understand. They need to know how elections work and why this election season is particularly stormy. Older children and teens may be ready to engage in more involved political discussions.

Of course, children also need emotional support from their families when they are feeling confused or worried. As parents and caregivers, our job is to acknowledge and affirm children’s feelings and provide encouragement and a sense of security. That’s a pretty heavy lift these days, but here are some suggestions for how to frame these challenging conversations.

Talking Points: Preschoolers

Young children’s questions will be fairly straightforward.

  • What’s an election?
  • What does vote mean?
  • Why are people voting?

Young children who have not yet learned about elections in school will need simple explanations about how democracy works. These explanations can focus specifically on the presidential election.

  • An election is a way to include many people in making a decision.
  • The election coming up right now is for deciding who will be the next president.
  • Each adult gets one vote. A vote is a chance to say who they think should be president.

It’s not necessary to explain the complexities of the electoral college to preschoolers. It’s fine to say, “The person with the most votes wins the election.”

Reassure your preschooler that elections are a good thing.

  • Sometimes people get upset about elections, especially if they feel really strongly that one person should win.
  • But elections are important. Elections are a way for everyone to have a say in big decisions.

Your preschooler may also enjoy one of these children’s books about elections:

Talking Points: Grade-Schoolers

Grade-schoolers are better able to discuss current events and may be ready to learn more details about how elections work.

For example, your child might ask, “What’s the difference between Democrats and Republicans?” You might offer a simplified explanation such as, “In general, Democrats believe that it is the job of the government to help people and to make rules. Republicans generally believe that individuals should have a lot of freedom to make their own decisions and their own rules.”

Other questions and conversations may be sparked by what children see on the news, in social media, or by listening to political discussions happening around them.

  • Why are people so upset about voting?
  • Why is this election such a big deal?
  • Why do we even have elections if they cause so many problems?

Again, remind children that elections are a good thing.

  • People get upset because they have such strong feelings and opinions.
  • Elections are important. Elections are a way for everyone to participate in democracy.

Give children an opportunity to develop their own opinions and ideas. Ask open-ended questions such as “What do you think about that?” Let them know that it’s okay for people to have different opinions and model that in your family by demonstrating all the ways you listen to each other.

Some recommended kid-friendly news sources include:

Time for Kids Scholastic Kids Press Corps

Talking Points: Preteens & Teens

Older children and teens may have questions about specific issues and how they are related to the election. They may want to talk about social justice or how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the election process.

Many children will have questions, spoken or unspoken, about the future.

  • What will happen after the election?
  • What if the candidate I like doesn’t win?
  • Will things ever get better?

Parents and caregivers may have similar questions and doubts. Remember that young people are looking to adults to be supportive role models. It can be helpful to intentionally foster a sense of optimism about the future. The message to convey is that our country has been through hard times before and we will find our way through this.

If your preteen or teen is anxious about the outcome of the election, it might also be helpful to provide some historical context. Remind them that the United States has been having elections for a long time. Change is a process. Consult websites like PBS Learning Media to access a searchable library of videos and articles that demonstrate this long arc of history.

Most preteens and teens get their news from social media, which is a notoriously inaccurate source when it comes to politics and the 2020 election. You can help your preteens and teens develop media literacy by encouraging them to check the credibility of social media postings and candidate claims through sites like FactCheck.org and ProCon.org. Teens may also be interested in apps and digital games related to the election process such as the iCivics game Win the White House.

Next Steps
If your child is asking lots of questions about politics, they may be ready to get involved as a volunteer or activist. One option is Rock the Vote, which uses music to engage teens.

Keep checking in with your child to gauge how they’re feeling and what they’re thinking as we draw closer to election day. Invite conversation with questions like, “How are you feeling about the election coming up? Any thoughts about that?” 

Listen carefully before jumping in with explanations. Take a breath and say, “Tell me more about that.” During this contentious election season, one of the most valuable lessons we can offer our children is modeling how to listen to each other.

Sources
American Psychological Association, “Talking to Children About the Election,” 2016
Common Sense Media, “17 Tips to Steer Kids of All Ages Through the Political Season,” 2018
Cornwall, Gail, “The Right Way to Talk About Politics with Your Kids, According to Experts,” 2020
Parker, Wayne, “Discussing Politics and Elections with Your Children,” 2019

Learn More
Koralek, Derry, and Colker, Laura J., “The Optimistic Parent,” 2020
Gadzikowski, Ann, “Your Family’s Guide to Media Literacy,” 2020
PBS Learning Media, The Election Collection

This post originally appeared on parents.britannica.com.
Britannica For Parents
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

We’re living in a time when it’s nearly impossible to distinguish fact from fiction. Parents need information they trust to help them make good decisions about raising their curious learners. Britannica for Parents provides safe and credible resources to empower all kids and parents and inspire curiosity for generations to come.

Photo: Tinkergarten

You may have noticed, there’s an election coming up…and it’s overall calming effects are exactly what we all needed on top of our pandemic. All irony aside, it feels like our feeds, our conversations and even our quiet moments have been consumed by the upcoming vote—and, no matter your beliefs, the strain of uncertainty and the general nature of the discourse provide a consistent dose of stress. In fact, there’s even a therapist-coined term for an extreme version of the experience—election stress disorder.

As with the pandemic, it’s essentially impossible to insulate our kids from the impact of this election. This means we don’t have to, and probably shouldn’t, shy away from discussing it with them. In fact, we know that talking with kids about elections can increase their engagement in the political process later on. Deborah Rivas-Drake, a Professor of Psychology & Education at the University of Michigan who studies civic engagement explains this phenomenon quite well: “You’re planting seeds that will bear fruit later in terms of their understanding of themselves as civic and political actors who have agency.” 

So, with just a few more days to go, how can we frame the election for kids in a way that helps them engage but also keeps them feeling safe and calm during it? No matter your political beliefs, here are 5 ways to approach the election that are supportive of young kids, and that will likely feel supportive of you, too.

Focus on Democracy
At the end of the day, it’s an enormous privilege and an essential right that we get to vote for our elected officials—and this gives us a simple, powerful and positive focus when engaging kids around the election conversation. Encourage others you love to vote and share your excitement to vote with your kids. To help signal to kids just how special voting is, you can also make voting day feel like a celebration. In Australia, for example, voting day is a holiday featuring special treats like “democracy sausage.” In our family, we plan to eat “pepperoni polling pizza” on election night. Whatever fun you choose to add, a little celebration can help reinforce the importance of our democracy in terms kids can understand.

Give Yourself Space to Process the News
Election coverage and commentary are reaching fever pitch. Turn on your phone, check your feed, drive or walk around your neighborhood, and signs of the election are literally everywhere. Social media algorithms are working in overdrive to keep serving us the election drama that keeps us engaged. So, it’s important to remember that kids watch us as we process these messages, and they see our reactions. 

Often we get drawn in (mom’s distracted…queue the misbehavior!) or we tense up, look puzzled or worried. Kids sense this—we are their source of comfort, and they are wired to notice and respond to changes. To help kids, and to help yourself, try picking a few, distinct times each day to “plug in” and take in election updates. If you can, find a quiet time and space to do it, out of the watchful eye of young children. This will give you the chance to have your immediate response and process the information without raising any alarm bells for your kiddos.

Prepare Kids by Explaining It Doesn’t Always Go Your Way
No matter your politics, you’ve likely experienced disappointment at the presidential polls in your voting lifetime. Even if you haven’t, you can probably imagine how much it hurts. And though these feelings can feel overpowering, as adults with fully-formed brains, in time, we’re generally able to rationalize and talk ourselves through ways it’s going to be okay. For our kids, this isn’t the case. 

Young kids are still learning about disappointment, and they generally believe deeply that we, their treasured grownups, know how to keep them safe and make their world okay. So, it can feel really unsettling to them when we get disappointed. That’s why it’s important, no matter how confident you are about your chosen candidate, to start to introduce the idea to kids that your candidate may lose. At the same time, try to help kids understand that even if your candidate is not successful, our democracy, and our world, will go on. 

Beware of “Them vs Us” Rhetoric & Stay Curious
In our current context, it’s easy to fall into the trap of using “Them vs. Us” rhetoric. No matter how vigilant we are about our own language, we can all find ourselves being triggered to speak in sweeping terms about whole groups of people who do not share the same perspective—especially about issues we really care about. Even if you don’t speak this way, kids can pick up on this language from other people in your family or community, or from the media.

Listen for moments in which people speak poorly about a whole party or group of people based on a belief they have. You can flip this script by explaining to kids that, even though you don’t agree with this group’s beliefs, you also don’t support the negative way they’re being talked about. You can also explain that you know most people are good people, but you just don’t agree with this particular group on this particular issue. 

Perhaps one of the most important things that we can do right now, as parents, is to help our kids foster a practice of listening to one another, asking questions, and taking the time to understand other peoples’ differing opinions.

Double down on Hope & Community
In the middle of it all, try to maintain rituals that help kids feel connected to the people in your community and hopeful about the future. Meeting outdoors is not only a safe way to connect with others, but it also puts everyone in a space that we all share, no matter our political views—our natural world. 

This post originally appeared on Tinkergarten.

After 18 years as an educator, curriculum developer and school leader, Meghan has her dream gig—an entrepreneur/educator/mom who helps families everywhere, including hers, learn outside. Today, Meghan serves as co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of Tinkergarten, the national leader in outdoor play-based learning. 

Photo: Sofiya Levchenko Via Unsplash

Party-pooper Introduction Alert: Our world has collectively struggled through 2020, causing mental health issues to rise dramatically. According to the CDC, nearly 40% of adults surveyed in the US reported mental health concerns related to COVID-19. Schools and businesses face unprecedented challenges, which presents parents and caregivers with new challenges of their own. Our country is sharply divided by politics and personal beliefs to the point that friends and family turn their backs on each other. Despite the struggles and divide we face, we can surely agree on one thing: We need to breathe happiness and positivity back into our lives.

In a time where social distancing brings traditional celebrations to a screeching halt, what can we do? How do we build excitement into our mundane COVID-19 routines when there’s not much excitement to be had? Well, we can find new (and sometimes silly) reasons to celebrate.

Unofficial Observances by Month

From National Toilet Tank Repair Month to National Spray Your Produce Day (yes, they both exist!) I’ve compiled a list of exciting days that may, or may not, be worth celebrating. So dust off your party decorations, pull up Pinterest menu ideas and start planning some unconventional fun with your family.

January

  • National Dress Up Your Pet Day: January 14th
  • National Popcorn Day: January 19th
  • National No Name-Calling Week: January 20th-24th
  • National Mocktail Week: 3rd week of January

February

  • National Ice-cream for Breakfast Day: 1st Saturday of February
  • National Chopsticks Day: February 6th
  • National Jell-O Week: 2nd week in February
  • National Random Acts of Kindness Week: Week of February 17th

March

  • National Plant a Flower Day: March 12th
  • National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day: March 13th
  • National Let’s Laugh Day: March 19th
  • National Goof Off Day: March 22nd

April

  • National Walk Around Things Day: April 4th
  • National Read a Roadmap Day: April 5th
  • National Zoo Lovers Day: April 8th
  • National Talk Like Shakespeare Day: April 23rd

May

  • National Screen-Free Week: 1st full week of May
  • National Lemonade Day: May 1st
  • National Two Different Colored Shoes Day: May 3rd
  • National Eat what you Want Day: May 11th
  • National Dance Like a Chicken Day: May 14th
  • National Do Something Good for your Neighbor Day: May 16th

June

  • National Gardening Week: 1st full week of June
  • National Go Barefoot Day: June 1st
  • National Say Something Nice Day: June 1st
  • National Yo-Yo Day: June 6th
  • National Play Catch Week: 3rd full week of June
  • National Go Fishing Day: June 18th

July

  • National Hot Dog Month
  • National Ice Cream Month
  • National Tape Measure Day: July 14th
  • National Give Something Away Day: July 15th

August

  • National Exercise With Your Child Week: 1st week of August
  • National Coloring Book Day: August 2nd
  • National Water Balloon Day: August 7th
  • National Bowtie Day: August 28th
  • National Beach Day: August 30th

September

  • National Teddy Bear Day: September 9th
  • National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day: September 13th
  • National Talk Like a Pirate Day: September 19th
  • National Comic Book Day: September 25th
  • National Family Day: Fourth Monday of September
  • National Ghost Hunting Day: Last Saturday of September

October

  • National World Space Week: October 4th-10th
  • National Cake Decorating Day: October 10th
  • National Sports Day: October 16th
  • National Reptile Awareness Day: October 21st
  • National Chocolate Day: October 28th

November

  • National Candy Day: November 4th
  • World Kindness Day: November 13th
  • National Family Pajama Day: November 14th
  • National Play Monopoly Day: November 19th
  • National Game and Puzzle Week: Week of Thanksgiving

December

  • National Cookie-Cutter Week: First week of December
  • International Ninja Day: December 5th
  • National Pretend to be a Time-traveler Day: December 8th
  • National Monkey Day: December 14th
  • National Flashlight Day: December 21st
  • National Card Playing Day: December 28th

 

There you have it — twelve months of light-hearted, positive, and goofy things for you to look forward to with your family. Whether you want to celebrate with ice cream every day for a month or spend a day walking around barefoot, this list has something playful to bring out the kid in everyone. Party On!

This post originally appeared on Self-published on Medium.

Danielle Fehring is a professional writer for hire focused on creating materials that educate, edutain, and persuade. She leverages 20+ years in education and public speaking experience to master the art of storytelling. Danielle's hobbies include embarrassing her two teenage sons, developing new skills, traveling, and all things true-crime related. www.reguluswriting.com

Working (and parenting) from home during a pandemic can be isolating and overwhelming. Whether you’re looking to vent, get practical advice or even give away gently used baby and kids gear, there’s an LA Facebook group for your to join. Read on to find that support and camaraderie are just a few clicks away in a local online group for parents.

Groups for Mom Support

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LA Mommies
With 59 thousand members, this group is the biggest of the bunch, offering plenty of differing opinions and insights which can make for spirited discussions. LA Mommies is intended to be a supportive group and community for parents and caregivers. You can search for popular topics like giveaways, reviews of Covid-19. 

NICE Los Angeles Moms Supporting Each Other
As the name says, the most important rule governing this LA group is BE NICE. This group is a place to vent (no politics allowed), share and ask questions. The goal of the group is to help lift up other women, and the group's admins promote a spirit of kindness in their posts.

LA Moms Uncensored
This group takes a more irreverent approach to motherhood. It's a place for moms in the LA area to receive support, laugh, vent and connect. As they say of themselves, "Controversial topics are ok but don't be a dick."

Groups for Finding Expert Advice & Services

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LA Peds and Parents: A Covid Kid Forum
When covid 19 first became a public health crisis, a group of Los Angeles pediatricians came together to figure out how to serve patients and their community. The doctors spent months supporting each other, and are now here to support parents! Ask your questions and they'll do their best to answer.

LA Tutors and Related Professionals
Overwhelmed with at-home learning. LA Tutors and Related Professionals is designed to connect families with local tutors, teachers, instructors and even healthcare professionals. If you're looking to form or join a learning pod, the group also helps connect like-minded families.

Los Angeles (LA) Nannies & Babysitters Exchange
This is a group to connect LA parents with caregivers, nannies and babysitters. Members can post if they're looking to hire a caregiver or babysitter, or want to recommend one to others. Worried about spam overload in the posts? No au pair agents, nanny agency, sales or personal business posts are allowed.

Groups for Selling, Donating & Swapping

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Moms Helping Moms
This group is for donations only! Giving, helping, trading, receiving. This page is not a forum for airing personal problems of your own or another.

Los Angeles Moms Sell & Swap
Here is your chance to sell all those items you have laying around your house that you do not use! You can sell, trade, and swap to your hearts desire.

LA Parents Swap
This group is for Los Angeles parents living in the Westside LA, Mid City, and South & West Valley to buy/sell/give away baby and kid products they no longer need or would like to purchase. 

Groups by Neighborhood

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Westside Moms
This group is very strict about its Westside requirements—your profile must share what exact city you are in or you will need to message an admin to be approved. With regular meetups (during non-social distancing times), the group aims to create real friendships among moms and their kiddos. It's also a great local resource for anything parent- and kid-related in Los Angeles. 

Pasadena Moms
The group is a place for moms in the Pasadena-area to connect, ask questions and support one another. You can use this group to get recommendations, tips and learn more about the area. And while it may be called Pasadena Moms, dads are welcome too!

San Fernando Valley Moms
All SFV moms welcome to join this group. It's the kind of place where you can ask for private swim instructor recommendations, and find the latest information on LAUSD school board initiatives (like a resolution to create public childcare pods on campus for homeless and foster youth and kids of essential workers).

For more hyper-local mom groups, search for your neighborhood on Facebook. 

–Shannan Rouss

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Don’t miss your shot! Disney+ has just given us a new exclusive look at Hamilton, the film of the original Broadway production. 

During the 2020 ESPY’s airing on ESPN and ESPN2, Disney+ debuted the trailer for Hamilton which will premiere on the streaming service on Jul. 3. 

The filmed version offers some of the best elements f live theater, film and streaming to bring this unforgettable performance to homes around the world.  Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theater. This musical has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education.

 Filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016, the film transports its audience into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way. With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and direction by Thomas Kail, “Hamilton” is inspired by the book “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow and produced by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeffrey Seller, with Sander Jacobs and Jill Furman serving as executive producers. Filming was produced by RadicalMedia. The 11-time-Tony Award-, GRAMMY Award-, Olivier Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical stars: Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Jonathan Groff as King George; Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton; and Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Disney+ 

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